GCU College of Education

LEARNING EXPERIENCE #2
Section 1: Lesson Preparation

Teacher Candidate Darnelle King

Name:

Grade Level: First-Grade

Date:

Unit/Subject: Making Connections/ELA

Instructional Plan Title: Text-To-Text Connections

Lesson Summary and This lesson will focus on making text-to-text connections, which
Focus: strengthens one’s comprehension and prediction when reading.
Comparing any literary elements (settings, characters, plots, themes,
etc.) deepens the reader's understanding of what each element is and
what it is not. Students will demonstrate their knowledge by making
comparisons between texts and predictions during reading.
Classroom and Student The classroom consists of 26 students (13 boys and 13 girls). Six
Factors/Grouping: students have been identified as struggling readers and were on the
school's Pupil Assistant Program. Seven students are reading above
grade level. There are no students with an IEP or 504 plans. All students
speak English as their first language. The class consists of students of
African, Latino, and Caribbean descent.
National/State Learning CCSS.ELA-LITERACY RL.1.11- Make connections between self, text,
Standards: and the world around them (text, media, social interaction).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.9- Compare and contrast the adventures

and experiences of characters in stories.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.9- Identify basic similarities in and
differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations,
descriptions, or procedures).

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LEARNING EXPERIENCE #2

Specific Learning
Target(s)/Objectives:
 Students will be able to compare and contrast two fictional stories
by using charting (Venn diagrams), and teacher prompts.
 Students will be able to make predictions about what will happen
next in a story that is similar to one previously read by making
notes in their journals.

Academic Language  Character

 Setting
 Event
 Predictions
 Grove of trees
 Selfish

The teacher will use graphic organizers, examples, and modeling;

students will know how to use these words in the correct context.
Resources, Materials,  Owen by Kevin Henkes
Equipment, and  Text-to-text anchor chart
Technology:  Goldilocks and the Three Bears https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=qyyJbnVzWIY&t=15s
 Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs retold by Mo Willems
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo9ACkUO3AQ
 Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kaFV3G5w38
 Cinderella by Teresa R. Roberts https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=EB3u-Fjv6Ic
 Smartboard
 Venn diagram x 26
 Teacher Venn diagram x 1
 Journals x 26
 Pencils

Section 2: Instructional Planning

Anticipatory Set Time

Needed
 The teacher will do a recap with students about the previous lesson of making 10
self-to-text connections. minutes
 The teacher will read the story “Owen” by Kevin Henkes.
 Ask students to turn to their elbow partners to compare Owen with Wemberly
Worried. Children will notice that the characters and the illustrations are similar.
With prompting, the children will realize that like Wemberly, Owen had an item
that was dear to him.

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GCU College of Education
LEARNING EXPERIENCE #2

 The teacher will tell students that this is what we call text-to-text connections.
Multiple Means of Representation Time
Needed
 The teacher will use an anchor chart to show students what is text-to-text 15
connections. minutes
 The teacher will model making text-to-text connections by playing the video
read-aloud for Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs retold by Mo Willems. While
reading, the teacher will ask the following questions aloud to see if any students
can answer:
1. What does this remind me of in another book I’ve read?
2. How is this text similar to other things I’ve read?
3. How is this different from other books I’ve read?
4. Have I read about something like this before?

 The teacher will model using a Venn diagram to compare and contrast
Goldilocks and the Three Bears with Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs.

Explain how you will differentiate materials for each of the following groups:

 English language learners (ELL):

Review vocabulary with these students before the lesson using graphic
organizers.

 Students with special needs:

Do a picture walk of the story with students before reading it.

 Students with gifted abilities:

Ask these students to help with completing the Venn diagram when modeling.

 Early finishers (those students who finish early and may need additional
resources/support):
Allow these students to choose a fiction book from the class library and try to
Make a connection with other stories they previously read.

Multiple Means of Engagement Time

Needed
 Students will watch the story Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters” and then move on to 30
watching “Cinderella” on YouTube. minutes
 Students will be placed in two groups and assigned one of the books to
dramatize the story.
 The teacher will then ask students:
1. How were the two books similar?
2. Were you able to make predictions for Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters?
3. Can you make other text-to-text connections with other books you have

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GCU College of Education
LEARNING EXPERIENCE #2

read in the past?

Explain how you will differentiate activities for each of the following groups:
 English language learners (ELL):
Assign these students to the group with the more familiar book. Review
vocabulary words with them using graphic organizers.

 Students with special needs:

Use a small group to go through both stories with these students and allow them
to orally describe the similarities and differences they noticed.

 Students with gifted abilities:

Allow these students to lead the groups in doing the dramatization.

 Early finishers (those students who finish early and may need additional
resources/support):
Allow these students to complete a Venn diagram for both stories.

Multiple Means of Expression Time

Needed
 Students will complete a Venn diagram for the stories Cinderella and Mufaro’s 30
Beautiful Daughters. minutes
 Students will write a one-paragraph reflection on “What does text-to-text
connections help us to do?”

Explain how you will differentiate assessments for each of the following groups:
 English language learners (ELL):
Allow these students to use their home language to write their reflection which
the teacher will translate to English.

 Students with special needs:

Ask these students to draw a picture of what they think will happen at the end of
the story.

 Students with gifted abilities:

Allow these students to share their one-paragraph reflection with the class.

 Early finishers (those students who finish early and may need additional
resources/support):
Allow these students to share their Venn diagrams with the class.

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GCU College of Education
LEARNING EXPERIENCE #2

Extension Activity and/or Homework Time

Needed
Students will be asked to create their own story with original characters and based it on 20
a story they have read before. They will read half of their stories and ask the class to minutes
predict what will happen in the end based on the text-to-text connection that they made.

© 2019. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.

GCU College of Education
LEARNING EXPERIENCE #2

LEARNING EXPERIENCE #2

© 2019. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.

 GCU College of Education
LEARNING EXPERIENCE #2

LEARNING EXPERIENCE #2

© 2019. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.